Improving the capability curves of a grid-connected wind farm: Gabel El-Zeit, Egypt

The use of wind energy is rapidly expanding due to technological developments and increased global energy demands. Therefore, large-scale wind farms are being connected directly to power grids. However, the integration of wind farms into power systems presents various challenges. One of these challenges is the reactive power capability, which has a particular influence on wind farm operations. Another challenge is the Low-Voltage Ride Through (LVRT) capability, which is one of the most serious challenges in designing wind turbines and their manufacturing technology. This paper explains the modern wind power systems and discusses the requirements of connecting wind farms to power grids. In addition, the various operation and control methods needed for wind turbines to meet these requirements are investigated. To analyse the impacts of wind energy integration on the Egyptian power grid, we utilize DIgSILENT PowerFactory programming to illustrate the present scenario and the challenges of the reactive power and LVRT capabilities of the Gabel El-Zeit wind farm. The results show that adding a Static Synchronous Compensator (STATCOM) to the system allows the higher reactive power injection needed to support the system performance.